15. Of course it doesn't. Though it certainly reveals a bit about their mental states

It creates motive that led to following a profiled teenager while armed. This wasn't just something that happened in a bubble. Zimmerman talked to that woman 20 times since she had her issue. Who else was he talking to? Were all these people there obsessed with safety and crime, perceiving all black people as potential perps? I've never lived in a place like that honestly. Just seems creepy

21. It explains why many of the defense witnesses skewed their testimony to benefit Zimmerman.

25. I wouldn't call it

"racism".

I would call it stereotyping, and here's why.

Say you live in a community that's been burglarized recently by a couple of tall, blond haired men.

Is it "racism" to then be suspicious of tall, blond haired men walking around the neighborhood? At most, it's stereotyping, but even then, how utterly stupid would it be to suspect short bald men when it was tall blond haired men who have been doing the burglarizing?

Or, say there's a rabid coyote running through the neighborhood biting people and killing pets. What do you do...hunt down and kill every rabbit you see?

8. burglers ring doorbells? n/t

10. Not that I think any of it is relevant,

but that would be a pretty good way to figure out if someone was home before you break in. If they came to the door you could just use some predetermined reason for the ringing the bell and ease on down the road to another house.

16. But, but, but

that is the very essence of racial profiling. Zimmerman didn't assess Trayvon on his own merits; as a pedestrian, a teen talking on the phone for a longish time (as most teens do), trying to wait out the rain and stay relatively dry at the mailbox area, then realizing it was getting darker and that he wasn't going to be able to wait it out, he pulls up the hood of his sweatshirt to shelter somewhat from the rain and strikes out for home.

Too late for him though, because right there, right then, at the mailbox area, Trayvon had already been profiled by Zimmy as a black male punk--a 'suspect' and potential burglar--and Zimmy was already on the phone with the police calling in his a description of him.

Those are the actions of a racist, to prejudge someone almost solely on the color or their skin, while ignoring that the peson's actions are actually innocuous and, were the color of that person's skin white, that person would have been totally ignored.

36. If your only tool is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail. nt

37. Sanford is 22 square miles

The neighborhood where this happened is over on the west side. This is a nice area and not crime ridden. Close to the mall and Heathrow/ Lake Mary. Check their crime stats for a more accurate representation of the area.
Yes there have been burglaries but this is an area where any parent would let their kid walk around.
The job market is so bad my white honors college grad son can't find work. Not terribly surprised young black men would steal when there are so few jobs. The violent crime stats probably represent that there has been a problem with shooting up houses ( mostly without injury)in the black neighborhoods but the cops are all over that.Also I think it turned out the burglaries were by a guy that lived in Zimmerman neighborhood. So fear of violent crime in Zimmermans neighborhood are bull!